Rastatt Lyceum
Many students sympathized with the democratic ideals of the revolution. Finally being able to have their say was exactly what they wanted. The movement’s ideals also spread rapidly among those at the Rastatt Lyceum – today's Ludwig-Wilhelm High School. Moreover, the priorities were clear: "Among us students, politicking soon took precedence over studying," reports Albert Förderer, a pupil at the time.
In May 1849, politicking turned bitterly serious for many young people. Students in the upper classes were conscripted into the Rastatt militia. During the siege of Rastatt, lessons were out of the question. Instead, the lyceum school building was used as a hospital, magazine and barracks.
Lyceum students Eduard Böhringer and Heinrich Fritz were threatened with the death penalty after the city's capitulation. They owed their lives to the courageous efforts of their teacher Alois Fickler, who ensured that they were only regarded as "seduced" and handed over to their school for disciplinary punishment.
